© Felix Weiss
Former Grand Ducal butler Raymond Bernard reflects, in conversation with RTL, on his decades of service, the importance of etiquette at court, his admiration for Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and urges the future Grand Duke Guillaume to keep celebrations modest.
For more than forty years, Raymond Bernard played a central role in the daily life of the Grand Ducal Court as butler.
His first encounter with the Grand Ducal family, then Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Charlotte, was not something he even fully realised at the time, he said. Recallling early memories, his youth was marked by recurring illnesses and long stays at hospital, particularly at the Sacré-Coeur clinic. He added that at times his health improved, but just as often he found himself confined to bed again. It was, he said, during one such spell that he unexpectedly came face to face with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess during a hospital visit.
Bernard explained that he remembers little of it, apart from the moment they appeared before him. Afterwards, contact developed gradually, with further visits during his illnesses, he said.
From that moment on, Bernard was regularly invited to Colmar-Berg Castle, he said. As a teenager he began helping out at events, discovered the workings of the Court and, over the years, built up connections, even with royal households abroad. According to Bernard, he became particularly close to Queen Fabiola of Belgium.
At the suggestion of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Charlotte, he later trained at a butler school to learn the finer points of etiquette. Bernard stressed, however, that a butler's education differs from hotel school: hotel training might teach you how to carry a tray, but butler training involved much more. His own staff learned how to balance trays securely in all circumstances, how to hold them correctly and for long periods, how to climb and descend stairs, how to move through crowds without spilling, slipping or stumbling, he explained.
Beyond technical skill, he explained, the profession requires improvisation, spontaneity, and above all, resilience under stress, qualities no school can truly teach.
The role is often confused with that of a valet or a majordomo, but Bernard clarified that these positions are not the same. The butler, in the broader sense, has the highest rank: responsible not only for service, but also for organising events and coordinating the many services of the household, Bernard said. At Court, Bernard combined the functions of organiser and event manager, overseeing planning and logistics as well as etiquette.
It should not be seen as something reserved for royal households, he said, adding that everyone should learn basic principles, such as greeting properly with one's hand out of the pocket, making eye contact when saying good morning, not turning abruptly towards a camera, not running in formal situations, and dressing appropriately. According to Bernard, these are simple habits, that one should be able to figure out naturally without special instruction.
He received much of his etiquette training directly from Grand Duke Jean. At Jean's request, he also spent over thirty years writing a book that gathered the most important rules of conduct. Even today, Bernard uses this work to run courses for those wishing to enter the profession. Bernard said that despite the decline of etiquette in wider society, he does not believe it has lost its place within the Grand Ducal Court. The future Grand Duke Guillaume may be more relaxed in his manner, but etiquette remains as important to him as to his predecessors, he said. Guillaume's advantage, Bernard added, is that he also understands the modern world.
In his experience, etiquette has always been deeply ingrained in the Grand Ducal family, to a degree that stands out even internationally. He singled out Grand Duke Henri as a master of the art, whose conduct is almost flawless, just as that of Grand Duke Jean had been before him.
A fondness for Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
Bernard does not expect etiquette itself to diminish at Court, but he does see shifts in the style of interaction. He remembered a change with the arrival of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, for whom he has a special fondness, he said. Bernard noted that her warmth and smile brought a personal touch he had not previously known within the family, which until then had always struck him as correct and kind, but less heartfelt.
One memory stands out. Bernard recalled that for a major event attended by princes from royal houses across the world, he was then in poor health and told Grand Duchess Maria Teresa that he did not wish to serve without his wife at his side. To his surprise, she immediately agreed that his wife could join him, he said. From that day forward, women were allowed to serve as valets at Court, whereas previously the role had been reserved exclusively for men, according to Bernard. He admitted that he would never have dared make such a request of Grand Duke Jean.
Advice for the future
Looking ahead to the succession and the future of the monarchy, Bernard said he believes the new Grand Duke Guillaume must embrace greater discretion. He welcomed Guillaume's decision not to live at Colmar-Berg, but he is wary of the large-scale festivities being planned for the succession weekend.
He argued that when comparing the upcoming celebrations with those of Grand Duke Henri, the scale appears excessive, with concerts and international guests driving up the cost. In his opinion, this is unwise at a time when official reports such as the Waringo review have already criticised the Court for excessive spending and led to budget cuts. To organise lavish events now would be a mistake, he warned, as such extravagance risks backfiring on the monarchy.
For Bernard, the monarchy in Luxembourg is already on fragile ground, its prestige much reduced over the years. He views the large receptions once hosted by Henri and Maria Teresa at Colmar-Berg as another misstep, because they fed speculation about finances. By contrast, Jean and Charlotte had always maintained the private and homely character of Colmar-Berg, avoiding unnecessary attention, he explained. "It is good to open up, but not too much", Bernard said. In his opinion, the new Grand Duke must foster a more reserved presence.
Full interview in Luxembourgish:
Raymond Bernard with his wife at Berg Castle
